One of our projects was to come up with criteria to evaluate whether a website is appropriate for educational use. In our groups we had to come up with a list after looking at other similar lists on the internet. This was an important activity because there is so much out there on the internet that it is important to filter what is the best and most appropriate for students. While I don't think that I would go through a check-list like this every time I was deciding whether a website was appropriate, I find it helpful to have made the list so I can be more aware of these factors as I select websites.
Evaluating Educational Websites Checklist
Website Title: _ Website URL: _ £Easy to use and read, accessible to students £Visually appealing £Written by a credible authority £Biography of the author is available £Age appropriate. £Does it tie into what you're trying to teach. £Accurate information with links and citations £Graphics are clearly labeled. £Well organized, £Proper grammar and spelling £Doesn't have questionable pop-ups or advertising £Links to related sites available £The Web site is easily accessible from any computer and £Membership requirements, if any, are simple, do not hinder access and donot raise privacy concerns £The information is current and updated regularly. £Teaching materials are offered in more than one format (e.g. HTML and PDF options available)
After we made the checklist, we had to evaluate another group's list on the class message board. This was good because it allowed us to see what others had done and to get feedback on our own work.
Evaluating Educational Websites
One of our projects was to come up with criteria to evaluate whether a website is appropriate for educational use. In our groups we had to come up with a list after looking at other similar lists on the internet. This was an important activity because there is so much out there on the internet that it is important to filter what is the best and most appropriate for students. While I don't think that I would go through a check-list like this every time I was deciding whether a website was appropriate, I find it helpful to have made the list so I can be more aware of these factors as I select websites.
Evaluating Educational Websites Checklist
Website Title: _
Website URL: _
£ Easy to use and read, accessible to students
£ Visually appealing
£ Written by a credible authority
£ Biography of the author is available
£ Age appropriate.
£ Does it tie into what you're trying to teach.
£ Accurate information with links and citations
£ Graphics are clearly labeled.
£ Well organized,
£ Proper grammar and spelling
£ Doesn't have questionable pop-ups or advertising
£ Links to related sites available
£ The Web site is easily accessible from any computer and
£ Membership requirements, if any, are simple, do not hinder access and do not raise privacy concerns
£ The information is current and updated regularly.
£ Teaching materials are offered in more than one format (e.g. HTML and PDF options available)
After we made the checklist, we had to evaluate another group's list on the class message board. This was good because it allowed us to see what others had done and to get feedback on our own work.
ISTE-NETS Standards: 4a, 4d, 5c, 5d.